


A Bit of Paradise

by junko



Series: Written in the Scars (of Our Hearts) [20]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Cock Rings, Kissing, M/M, Reading, Shopping, Subways, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 07:42:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji wakes up from a nap to discover Byakuya reading yaoi.  Renji suggests a book shopping adventure that leads to much more than he expected...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bit of Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading for the sexy bits, feel free to skip down to the last space break. No previous knowledge of the storyline should be necessary.
> 
> Thanks as always has to go to my steadfast beta reader, Josey (cestus), who has continued to typo-spot and cheerlead despite the fact that she's been hard at work posting her awesome (if heart-wrenching) Bleach AU: "Blind Before the Looking Glass" http://archiveofourown.org/works/917268 which I highly recommend!

Somehow Renji fell asleep curled up against the stuffed tiger at the foot of the big hotel bed. He hadn’t meant to, but the rollercoaster must have worn him out more than he realized. With a yawn, he wiped the drool from his mouth and glanced around the bedroom. 

Byakuya sat with his back against the headboard of the bed, his long legs stretched out, ankles crossed elegantly. He’d changed out of the black panther tee-shirt and now wore a silk, sky blue button-down. He was reading a book that he must have picked up here in the Human World because the cover showed brightly colored illustrations and seemed to have a thoroughly modern title… something to do with something called a ‘viewfinder.’ Renji tilted his head trying to parse it out, and Byakuya looked up. “You’re awake,” he noted.

“How long was I out?”

“Not long,” he said, setting the book down in his lap, slender finger marking his page. “No more than an hour.”

Renji pulled himself up to sit beside Byakuya. Leaning against Byakuya’s shoulder, he checked out the book. The whole thing seemed to be illustrated… porn. The picture that lay open on Byakuya’s lap showed a dark haired businessman doing a younger, blondish kid in a limo. 

“Wow,” Renji said, carefully lifting the pages Byakuya had already read to see the rest. It was pretty good illustration, if more cartoonish than Byakuya’s usual wood block art. “Where’d you find something like this already?”

“I was a little restless after you passed out, so I went downstairs to check out the gift shop. The young lady behind the counter was reading the second volume in this series. When I expressed interest, she pulled this one out of her backpack and loaned it to me. I’m meant to return it when I’ve finished reading it and she said if I liked it, she’d give me directions to the bookstore where she bought it.”

That’s what they should do instead of a museum, Renji thought: buy Byakuya more porn… because: porn was bound to be more interesting than dusty art. “You know, I’d totally go book shopping with you.”

Byakuya looked surprised. “Really? I was intending to send Eishirō.”

“On a porn run? Jeez, Byakuya, give the guy a break. Just let me splash some water on my face and we can go.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yeah,” Renji smiled, planting a little kiss on Byakuya cheek before he got out of bed. “Why not? We can probably find a noodle shop for dinner or something on the way back. It’ll be fun.”

#

After washing the sleep from his face and dragging a comb through his hair, Renji decided to dress up a little more. The ripped tee-shirt was fine for the amusement park, but he decided to at least cover his shoulders for the bookstore. Besides, the sun was going down. It’d probably be cooler out, and they might walk some distance. Digging through the bag Rukia had brought from Urahara Shoten, Renji found a plain white tee-shirt. Over that he threw on a black, zip-up hoodie. He debated a long time about the leather collar and cuffs, and finally decided to leave them on. As he shoved the hoodie’s sleeves up over his forearms, he decided he’d still look like a punk next to Byakuya, but it was fine. Besides, he’d probably look worse bruised.

Byakuya seemed to find him more than acceptable and nodded appreciatively when Renji met him by the elevator. “You look nice.”

“Heh, nice? I look naughty,” Renji smiled. Leaning his shoulders against the wall of the elevator car, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’m pretty sure the concierge thinks I’m your rent boy.”

Byakuya frowned back from where he stood slightly in front of Renji, in the middle of the car. “Indeed? Should I speak to the staff?”

Renji shook his head. “Nah, let ‘em think what they like.”

Holding the illustrated book in both hands, Byakuya pressed it against his chest thoughtfully. Byakuya glanced at Renji seriously for a long time, and then said, “Surely such an assumption would bother you more than you would say.” 

One of Renji’s eyebrows quirked up and he pulled his ear in confusion. “Huh? What makes you say that?”

Byakuya turned back to watch the numbers count down. His voice was flat and toneless when he said, “It seems obvious from your reaction last night when we discussed the spy I hired from the teahouse. You were shaking, Renji. You begged me to promise to release the boy from his contract. I may not always be very sensitive, but I believe anyone might guess what would cause such a visceral, personal reaction.”

Oh. Byakuya thought Renji had been the one in the teahouse. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. What did he say? Should he tell Byakuya who it really had been? If he knew Rukia had been the one, would he finally get rid of those properties? Or would he go completely ballistic? Renji pushed his shoulders off the wall, and started, “Uh, listen, about that, actually, it wasn’t what you’re thinking, I never—“

The door dinged open and Byakuya raised his hand. “Renji, please don’t feel you need to explain anything. I don’t think any less of you, and, quite honestly, it explains a lot.”

Renji had a completely different thing he intended to say, but Byakuya’s comment made him change tack, “Oh, yeah? Like, what? What does it explain?”

Byakuya was still a step ahead of him as they headed into the lobby. But, he kept his voice low and his face turned slightly towards Renji, “Your astounding willingness to try anything coupled with your reluctance to use the safe word, for one.”

Renji stopped in the middle of the chandelier lit lobby, completely floored. His mouth hung open. Unaware of Renji’s reaction, Byakuya continued on, turning sharply into the gift shop. 

Heart ticking wildly in his ear, Renji tried to decide if Byakuya’s assumptions were offensive or hilarious or both. Thanks to the red hair, Renji was used to people assuming he was slutty and up for anything, and, well, it was mostly true anyway. He never shied away from experimentation. But, goddamn it. It was Byakuya who had trouble with ‘no,’ not him.

Suddenly filled with righteous indignation, Renji dashed into the gift shop with a far-louder-than-intended: “I could totally use the safe word if I wanted! In fact, I was the one saying ‘no’….”

From the far end of the narrow gift shop, a clerk looked up sharply from the map she was drawing Byakuya. She was petite and had her dark brown hair up in pigtails like a little girl. She wore a kind of black jumper that seemed to be standard for all the younger women working for the hotel. Her eyes were wide and Renji was pretty sure his face was growing as red as her cheeks. Byakuya stood completely still, his back stiff and straight. Awkward silence stretched.

All of a sudden, the clerk broke into a completely fake, but utterly cheerful smile and trilled, “Irasshaimase!” 

Without turning around, Byakuya asked, his tone completely even as though nothing untoward had happened, “Do you think you can negotiate the subways, Renji?”

“Oh, uh, sure, probably,” he said. Rubbing the back of his neck to hide his embarrassment, Renji made his way through the narrow aisles filled with travel-sized merchandise, “As long as there aren’t too many transfers.”

“Oh no, not many at all,” the clerk smiled up at him when Renji approached the register, “Only two.”

Renji peered over Byakuya’s shoulder at the map the clerk was drawing onto the back of a postcard with a glitter gel pen. Into Byakuya’s ear, Renji whispered, “Sorry about that.”

Byakuya nodded slightly in acknowledgment. To the clerk, he asked, “Will the shop be easy to find once we’re in the right district?”

“The whole neighborhood is full of bookstores, but the one you want will be hard to miss. There’s always a bunch of cosplayers out front,” she said like that made any sense. Byakuya looked to Renji to translate, but Renji was forced to shrug and shake his head. She glanced between them and realized she needed to explain, “You know, people dressed like manga characters?”

Renji still couldn’t fathom it, though all sorts of images flooded his brain: “People dress in costumes from their favorite porn?”

The girl looked momentarily shocked and then giggled. “Accurate,” she muttered. With a clearing of her throat, she shook her head, “But, you know, it’s not like that for everybody. Most people, even. And, well, uh…” She trailed off helplessly. She looked up at Renji and then smiled at him again in a way that reminded him of Orihime, sort of bold and nervous all at once. “Are you Kuchiki-san’s boyfriend?”

Renji glanced at Byakuya wondering if it was all right to say he was. Amazingly, no one had ever asked them this question so blatantly before.

“‘Boyfriend’ sounds so juvenile,” Byakuya said calmly and casually. “I prefer the term ‘lover,’ though it’s a bit graphic and tactless. It’s a shame that ‘paramour’ is no longer in fashion.”

“‘Paramour’?” Renji laughed. To the clerk, he asked, “You see me as a paramour? That makes me sound like a spy or something.”

“You’d make a terrible spy! You’re too loud and you have all those tattoos,” the clerk said. But, then realized how offensive she might have been and she covered her mouth with her hands. Dipping into a bow, she said, “I’m very sorry. I meant no disrespect!”

“It’s okay,” Renji said with a bright laugh. He could suddenly see how this girl had gotten Byakuya to discuss porn. She was a funny combination of bold and shy. “Besides, it’s true. I’d be the worst spy ever.” 

“I hope you’ll be a good navigator,” Byakuya said with a sigh. After leaving a small pile of yen coins on the counter, he tucked the postcard into his breast pocket. “I’ve never been on the subway before.”

The clerk glanced at Renji like she wanted to know if such an unbelievable thing could possibly be true. Renji nodded. “He usually takes taxis.”

“Everywhere?” she asked. “Doesn’t that get expensive?”

“He’s rich,” Renji said with a shrug. Byakuya gave Renji an admonishing look, and Renji was surprised to see color on Byakuya’s cheeks as he stalked towards the door. 

Oh, oops. 

Was Byakuya suddenly embarrassed by the fact? Maybe he was just reacting like that because it wasn’t the sort of thing you were supposed to announce?

“Uh, I guess, I’m all about my foot in my mouth this afternoon,” Renji said, by way of apologies. “Thanks for the map and stuff. You gave him the name of the place and the address in case we get lost?”

“Yes,” she said with another bow. “It was nice meeting you both. I gave him some names of yaoi titles I like, too. Will you come back and tell me what you bought?”

Renji nodded, looking at where Byakuya waited outside the door, “Yeah, if he ever let’s me and my big mouth out in public again.”

She looked momentarily horrified, and then smiled brightly again, “Oh no! I hope he will! I think you’re charming! Both of you! You’re such a cute couple!”

Renji thanked her again and headed out to meet Byakuya. Byakuya’s lips were pressed together and he pretended to study the map. Irritation exuded from his posture like waves of reiatsu. Approaching cautiously, Renji steeled himself to say what he always felt like he should say to Byakuya any time they went anywhere together. When he finally stood beside Byakuya he hung his head. “I embarrass you. I’m sorry.”

Byakuya’s frown twitched. He gave another terse nod of acceptance. Then his shoulders dropped slightly and he gave Renji a quirk of a smile. “It’s exceedingly difficult to imagine you serving tea to clients at a kagemajaya.”

“That’s because I never did,” Renji said, as they headed for the door. 

Byakuya had been handing Renji the postcard for him to take over, but paused momentarily. His eyes widened and his face paled, but he quickly schooled his expression. “Ah. I see. Of course, it was the back rooms for you only, then.”

Taking the directions, Renji tried not wince at the fact Byakuya even knew about such things. “No… I mean, I told you about the things I did, you know, in the alleys—until I got tough enough to rob those fuckers. Anyway, it wasn’t me that got nabbed by the pimps.” Renji strode ahead and opened the door for Byakuya. Renji chuckled darkly at the thought, “Nah, I wasn’t pretty enough, see. They left me behind. It was… my friends.”

Renji couldn’t bring himself to say Rukia’s name. He should. He should probably tell Byakuya, but he felt like maybe it was Rukia’s story and not his. If she’d never told her brother, maybe it wasn’t something she wanted him to know about. It was pretty personal shit. Renji didn’t even know everything that had happened to her there. He’d never asked, and Byakuya would. Byakuya would demand to know everything. Rukia would not thank Renji for that.

Yeah, mouth shut. He should try discretion at least once tonight.

Outside, the air was cool enough that Renji was glad of the hoodie. He was half-way down the driveway where the taxis congregated in front of the hotel before he realized Byakuya was staring up at him with the strangest expression. Renji wondered what embarrassing thing he’d done now. “What?”

“They left you behind? For not being beautiful enough? Where they blind?”

Aw. Renji’s smile was bashful. “Uh… well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste.” 

Glancing at Byakuya, Renji wanted to explain that the pimps weren’t so much judging Renji by his looks, but by his size. When the raiders had come for them, Renji had already started to fill out and had grown about a foot taller. He would have been a fight for them. They thought the littlest, frailest looking ones were easier pickings. They’d misjudged both Rukia and Ozuru, but Rukia especially. 

They also hadn’t counted on Abarai loyalty. They thought Inuzuri dogs were cowardly curs, not rabid bloodhounds.

“You’re frowning,” Byakuya noted as they came to the train station. They paused at the entrance for Renji to get his bearings and check the map. Quietly, Byakuya added, “I only meant to sincerely compliment you. However, I suspect it isn’t wise to make light when I don’t know what happened to your friends.”

“They died,” Renji said flatly. After all, so many people did in Inuzuri. It was the most popular way to leave that fucked-up place. But, Byakuya looked a little horrified, so Renji felt he should explain, “It was my fault. I was being stubborn and probably idealistic to think we had any chance of getting anyone out. Those thugs had us outnumbered and outgunned and… fuck it, the truth was, they had the law on their side. Once they nabbed our people, we couldn’t prove it was kidnapping. Kids like us often sold themselves voluntarily. Anyway, it was a complete cock-up. Thanks to me, my friends lost their lives and I would have, too, if the bosses hadn’t decided they wanted to make an example of me.”

At the end of Renji’s story, Byakuya nodded thoughtfully. He seemed to be digesting it all, so Renji turned back to deciphering the map. He used the postcard to follow the subway line through to the destination. Given that it was nearly rush hour this was going to be tricky. He led Byakuya over to the ticket machine, and showed him how to use it. After they fed in their bills, two tickets came out.

Byakuya followed along as Renji let them through the turnstile and down the stairs, following the crowds and checking the overhead signs to make sure they were headed to the right platform. As they stood side-by-side in the press of people waiting behind the white line for the train, Byakuya seemed to be staring at Renji’s arms, as though trying to see through the hoodie’s fabric.

When Byakuya realized he’d been caught staring again, he looked Renji in the eye for a long time. Finally, he nodded and looked away. “You were tattooed for it.”

Renji’s eyes went wide, and he had the stupid impulse to try to cover his arms with his hands, even though no one could see them through the hoodie. He frowned down on his chest. “And beaten,” he added. He shivered with the memory, but with a conscious effort was able to stop hugging himself. With a shrug, he shook it off. “But I got off easy. I should have died with the rest of them.”

Byakuya considered this. “I’m glad you didn’t. Though, I have to say I’m curious that the magistrates went to such trouble to make a public show and, frankly, to put up the expense to mark you. Given that your attempted rescue was unsuccessful and your friends were dead, I would have thought you punished enough.”

“Yeah, except that was the thing, wasn’t it? It was a massive fuck-up, but one of us did get away. I was charged with theft of teahouse property. And, you know, that sort of thing can’t be tolerated.” Renji only barely managed to keep the growl from his voice.

“Ah,” Byakuya said. Pursing his lips together, his frown deepened. “It was a mockery of justice. You weren’t the thief.”

“Yeah, well, ain’t no single magistrate in the Rukongai gonna believe some Inuzuri punk over a stand-up business woman. Anyway, we was all thieves, just not that time. That’s how they got me marked as a repeat offender even though I was never officially caught before. It’s a good thing no one knew half of what we’d done,” Renji muttered. Glancing over people’s heads he tried to spot the train down the darkened tunnel. “Like I said, I was lucky to get off so lightly.”

“You were far luckier that the horishi was fond of you,” Byakuya noted. “You would never have been allowed in Academy with such an obvious a criminal record.”

Renji snorted. “You ever seen Iba’s tats?”

“No, why?”

“Let’s just say he’s a bigger criminal than I ever was,” Renji said. When it was clear Byakuya wasn’t getting it, Renji said, “Yakuza.”

At Renji’s casual mention of the yakuza, a woman standing next to Renji shifted away a little in horror—at least as much as was possible given the growing number of people on the platform. Renji was beginning to wonder if they’d all fit in the train cars.

Loud clattering and a horn announced the arrival of their train. The sea of human bodies pressed forward, and Renji made a grab for Byakuya’s hand so they wouldn’t get pushed too far apart. With his other hand Renji grabbed for one of the straps hanging from the ceiling. Byakuya curled himself into the hollow of Renji’s body as the train packed more and more people in around them. When they were pressed so close together they might as well be making out, Byakuya hissed disgustedly, “Is it always like this?”

“I think we hit rush hour accidentally,” Renji said. Sneaking his free arm around Byakuya’s waist, he held him close, trying to shield him as much as possible from the jostling bodies. Glancing around, it was clear no one noticed. If Byakuya minded, he didn’t say anything. In fact, Byakuya sighed gratefully and relaxed somewhat. After a moment, he slipped his arms around Renji in return. Byakuya closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating, as if trying to stay inside the bubble their bodies created. 

The lights strobed as the train car clattered through a tunnel, rocking and swaying around turns. Into Renji’s shoulder Byakuya murmured, “I hate the Human World.”

“We’ll take the taxi back,” Renji promised.

Byakuya nodded.

When the subway stopped, Renji had to tighten his grip or he’d have lost Byakuya as half the car made a mad rush to disgorge. In another second, it was filling up again. Renji was pretty sure he saw a station master with white gloves shoving someone deeper into the car so the doors could close. Poor Byakuya. Renji held him tightly as they did this for two more stops. 

“Okay,” Renji said, leaning into Byakuya’s ear. “This is us. We gotta try to get out alive and turn left.”

Renji figured it was going to be the last part that was the hardest. They had to try to hope they got themselves positioned right so that the current of traffic would take them to the platform they needed next. When the doors opened, he made a push. Letting his reiatsu out a fraction, he used his spiritual pressure to form a wedge as people naturally moved aside, sensing some larger presence. 

Once they were headed in the right direction, Renji was sure to dampen it down. The last thing they needed was for a Hollow of any size to be drawn to this place. With the low ceilings there wouldn’t be anywhere to fight.

Byakuya held on to Renji’s hand as they found the next train. It was just boarding so they had to run for it. They made it in just before the doors closed. This car was slightly less crowded, though they were still all pressed in tight enough that Renji offered to surreptitiously hold Byakuya again.

It all went pretty well until Renji felt someone’s hand sliding between his legs. “Is that you?” Renji whispered to Byakuya. Because, as snuggly-nice as all this was, a quickie grope-session seemed a bit risky.

Byakuya opened his eyes and peered sharply over Renji’s shoulder. In a voice loud enough to be heard, he announced, “The young lady behind us seems to be taking advantage.”

The woman blushed, and Renji could feel a frantic, squashed battling of hands behind him as Byakuya defended his virtue. Byakuya’s widely spread fingers fell firmly across Renji’s ass. He said, “That’s me. And I think it should stay there for now.”

Renji smiled. “I got no objections to that.”

Byakuya shook his head as though admonishing the whole place. Renji could almost hear his silent reiteration of his dislike of all things in the World of the Living.

“We’ll take a taxi home,” Renji reassured him again.

“I will pay any price.”

Ironically, the subway crowd thinned out by the time they made their final transfer to Jimbōchō. Looking at how gratefully Byakuya sank into the unoccupied seat, Renji tried not to feel disappointed. The train lurched to a start and Renji grabbed for the handhold. He felt suddenly self-conscious to be standing in front of Byakuya, but there really wasn’t much other choice. Besides, he could hardly sit while Byakuya stood. That wouldn’t be right either. At least this way he still felt like a lieutenant protecting his captain. Just not as sexy.

Just then, Byakuya looked up at him and breathed, “Thank fate for you, Renji. I don’t know how you can even tell if we’re going the right direction anymore.”

“I can’t really,” Renji admitted. Glancing up at the tangle of colored subway lines above the door, he said, “I’m just following the map.”

Byakuya nodded. Tilting his head back to rest against the smeared and graffiti spattered glass, he closed his eyes again. “The bookshop had best be worth all this.”

“An entire district of booksellers?” Renji smiled kindly. “Isn’t that your version of paradise?”

Byakuya managed a small smile and he opened his eyes to stare up at Renji, “Perhaps. If you’re there.”

Renji’s heart soared. Byakuya had been so sweet and loving these past few days, and so casually, too. Byakuya might hate being in the Human World, but Renji loved him here. He could hardly imagine Byakuya being so open and expressive back in the Soul Society. Renji had to consciously stop his hand at it rose to touch Byakuya’s face. 

“I’ll be there, at your side,” Renji said, adding as much meaning as he could to his words, “Whenever I can.”

The train suddenly lurched to a stop. Byakuya reached up and steadied Renji, holding on to him as he got to his feet as well. As they got off the train and started up the stairs towards the outside, Byakuya remarked, “I rather love how practical you are when you say that. Even more than some sweeping romantic declaration, it makes me truly believe you.”

“Well, good, ‘cuz it’s true,” Renji said, daring to lean over and steal a kiss from the top of Byakuya’s head. “Now let’s find you some porn.”

#

Even though Renji spotted the cosplayers down the street, Byakuya could not be hurried. Each bookstore they passed had cleverly set out a cart or two filled to the brim with their wares. Renji decided they were like little Byakuya traps and they caught him every time. Byakuya had to stop at each one and flip through all the titles. 

Renji tried not to be impatient. It was clear Byakuya enjoyed browsing. He seemed much more relaxed and in his element. He’d even bought a couple of poetry books from one of the antique and rare book vendors, “To fill some gaps in his father’s collection.”

After a while, Renji made a game of trying to find at least one book he wasn’t completely bored by. More often than not he could find something—though he had much better luck at the used and more modern shops and stalls they stopped at.

Eventually, though, they made it to the store that had all the illustrated books. The costumed people outside seemed to be employees because they trilled welcomes at Renji and Byakuya and offered to help find titles of interest. Renji handed over the postcard where the clerk had written possible titles to a girl who seemed to be dressed like some kind of superhero. She had a cape, at any rate. 

“Oh! Yaoi!” she exclaimed as some of the others behind her giggled. She looked Renji up and down. Her eyes lingering on the leather, she leaned in and said, “You know, that’s mostly written for women. You’d probably prefer ‘bara.’”

Renji shrugged, “You can show me that if you want, but,” Renji jerked his thumb at where Byakuya stood, “Help him find those titles. He’s already got one he likes for sure, and we came on the subway during rush hour to find it.”

She pasted on a cold, insincere smile. “Aren’t you the bossy one? Does your uke not get to speak for himself?”

Renji frowned. He had no idea what ‘uke’ meant exactly in this context, but he was pretty sure he could guess. “Man, have you got that wrong, sister.”

Byakuya swept past them both, and interjected, “If you can’t help us, we will find the books ourselves. I’m quite capable of browsing on my own.”

Renji fell into step behind Byakuya, pausing only long enough to stick his tongue out at the superhero girl.

#

Several hours later, they both left with armloads of books. Turned out, even though she was kind of snotty, the superhero girl was right about one thing: Renji far preferred the bara titles to the yaoi. Much less story, more sex. And, for whatever reason, the men in the graphic novels seemed more like real guys to him. 

Plus, there was some hot bondage scenes.

They both sat with their noses stuck into the manga during the entire taxi ride back to the hotel. As they pulled up to the hotel, the taxi driver said, “You boys sure like to read, don’t you? What’s so fascinating?”

Renji said, “Erotica,” at the same time Byakuya said, “Porn.”

#

When they made it back to the penthouse suite, Byakuya surprised Renji by dumping all of his purchases on the hotel bed and announcing, “Let’s make love on all the books.”

Looking up from the one he was still reading, Renji blinked. “Won’t that make them sticky?”

“We can push them to the side.”

Renji really wasn’t getting the appeal of this. “But, then we won’t be ‘on’ them.”

“Renji,” Byakuya said tersely. “Get over here and let me kiss you.”

“Oh! Right.”

Despite his better judgment, Renji tossed the book he’d been reading into the pile on the bed. He walked over to where Byakuya indicated. Whatever it was about the books or the situation, it seemed to have turned Byakuya on. His hands were on Renji as soon as he was within in reach, unzipping the hoodie and dragging it off his shoulders. Guessing what Byakuya was likely after, Renji pulled the tee-shirt over his head quickly. 

Sure enough, there was a soft, happy sigh at the sight of Renji’s naked upper body. Renji had grown to love how possessively Byakuya looked at his tattoos. He used to feel very exposed and on-display. Now he relished the way Byakuya couldn’t seem to drag his gaze from them and how his mouth opened greedily and his head instantly dipped to kiss and suck at the dark lines. Renji closed his eyes and turned his head, so Byakuya’s tongue could trace the ink on his throat.

Byakuya’s hands encircled Renji’s waist, lightly holding him close. His hair tickled Renji’s cheek. The intimate smells of this man filled Renji’s nose—jasmine and musk, familiar but still so arousing.

Cautiously, Renji let his hands slide around Byakuya, feeling the play of muscle under silk as Byakuya bent lower. Byakuya cool, thin lips found the camellia limiter. Renji’s skin felt flushed and hot, both from the feeling of Byakuya’s mouth on his naked skin but even more so from the slight bow of Byakuya’s head. Even after all this time, Byakuya bending even a little for him turned Renji on so hard his breath hitched. Throwing his head back, he moaned.

Byakuya stepped them forward so that Renji’s thighs hit the edge of the bed and he felt himself falling backwards. Instinctively, his grip tightened on Byakuya and they went down together. Their combined weight made the spring groan and bounce. Several books spilled onto the floor, and still others jammed into Renji’s back. 

Byakuya pushed himself between Renji’s spread legs and continued his exploration of tattoos. Renji’s hands gripped the silk at Byakuya’s sides. Lifting his head, he watched the dart and flick of tongue. The image hardened his nipples and made his cock push even harder against the rough, restrictive fabric of the jeans.

He wanted out of his pants, now. Letting go of Byakuya, Renji fingers blindly groped for button and fly. Sensing what he was doing, Byakuya shifted so that Renji could at least squirm enough to wedge his jeans and underwear down towards his knees. He sucked in a breath as his cock leaped into the cold air. Automatically, he reached to stroke himself a little before grasping for Byakuya’s fly.

Amazingly, Byakuya seemed content to continue licking along the lines of Renji’s chest, despite Renji’s frantic pulling at Byakuya’s jeans and underwear. With a heave, Renji managed to shove them down far enough to expose Byakuya’s ass and hardening length. 

Renji’s hand twitched toward it, but he managed to hold himself back long enough to pant, “I want... Oh, god… Can I use my hand on you?”

Byakuya looked up from Renji’s chest. He wet his lips with his tongue as though nervous. Their eyes stayed locked for several, pounding heartbeats. Then, he dipped his head back toward Renji’s nipple and said, “You may.”

Shuddering from both the permission and Byakuya’s skillful play of tongue and teeth on his sensitive nipple, Renji hand found Byakuya’s cock and encircled it. Renji closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of Byakuya passion, like steel encased in velvet, moving against his rough calloused palm.

Byakuya’s low moan against his chest had Renji’s eyes flying open to capture the blissful expression on Byakuya’s face. He’d stopped sucking at Renji’s nipple, but his mouth still hung open slightly as though completely overcome by the sensations as well. Byakuya back arched and he continued to rock with each stroke, his ass thrusting into the air. Precum slicked Renji’s hand.

“Oh, god.” Just the sight of this: a slight sheen of sweat on Byakuya’s face, the way his hands fisted into the bed covers on either side of Renji’s face, and the uncontrolled sounds escaping Byakuya threatened to undo him right there. “I think… oh, god, I’m close.”

Byakuya’s eyes opened. “No, wait… let me… the nightstand.”

With difficulty, Renji released Byakuya. Byakuya pulled back and stood up, giving Renji a chance to squiggle the rest of the way out of his jeans, while admiring the hard, straightness of Byakuya’s erection that peeked through where the pale blue silk shirt had fallen around it. As Byakuya fumbled for the lube, Renji lay back and touched himself—his hand going to the nipple Byakuya so cruelly abandoned and to his own cock. 

He spread his legs, waiting. All of a sudden, he felt a hand lightly nudge his own away. He opened his eyes to see Byakuya holding a leather strap not unlike the ones still around his neck and wrists. 

At Renji’s curious look, Byakuya explained: “It’ll hold you back, though it might be a little painful. Will you let me?” 

Renji considered for a second. Byakuya’s face was flushed and his eyes hungry. So far there’d been no other talk about restraints despite the fact that with the cuffs still on, chains would be an easy addition. Renji nodded and tucked his hand behind his head, the other continued to tweak his nipple. He lifted his knees and opened his legs even further.

Byakuya must have studied all the instructions, because he had Renji’s balls and cock bound up fast and tight. Renji couldn’t stop a small noise at the sudden pressure. Byakuya’s hands were back at the buckle in a second. “Is that all right? Too tight?”

“No…I’m fine. It’s just…” His hand slid down his own torso to between his legs. A shift and an adjustment and Renji let out a shuddering breath. “There, yeah. Tight. But good.”

Byakuya seemed relieved. Pushing some of the manga out of the way, Byakuya crawled back onto the bed and knelt between Renji’s upraised knees. At some point, he’d dropped his jeans too. Renji lifted his head to watch Byakuya spread a generous amount of cherry-scented lube along his cock, and then smear extra onto his fingers. Renji’s balls tightened despite their restraint and he groaned in anticipation. 

Renji kept one hand tucked under his head, and let the other play over his chest. Byakuya’s smile was clear approval. Though after his fingers slipped inside, he leaned forward and captured Renji’s hand. Pinning it to the bed, Byakuya licked at the ink along Renji’s ribcage. Renji’s back arched under the twin assault of tongue and fingers. The hand he’d tucked behind his head grasped at the chain loop of the leather collar and squeezed tightly. His head craned back and he gasped at each thrust that was not quite enough.

“God, please! Fuck me! I’m ready, I’m ready!”

Despite his demands, Renji had to choke back a little sob when Byakuya’s fingers left him. Grasping Renji’s hip, Byakuya guided himself into Renji. Gently, at first, Byakuya nudged at Renji’s opening, teasing it wider. Renji lifted his legs and wrapped them around Byakuya’s waist, pushing Byakuya in deeper. The sudden stretching ache made Renji gasp for air as Byakuya slid all the way in. The hand he’d so carefully held behind his head clasped at the silk at Byakuya’s shoulder and dragged him down into a kiss. Renji heard silk tear in his desperation to have his mouth on Byakuya’s. 

If Byakuya minded this breach in etiquette, he didn’t react. Instead, he started moving in and out to the rhythm of Renji’s tongue. His hand on Renji’s wrist moved to clasp his hand, though it still held him firmly. Renji moaned against Byakuya’s teeth at their bodies slapped together faster, with mounting urgency. His toes curled as his thighs flexed against Byakuya’s waist.

With great effort, Renji was able to keep his hand from the back of Byakuya’s head, but he clawed at the silk until it came away in shredding rips. His cock ached painfully and he thought he might explode despite the restriction. 

When Byakuya picked up the pace and started making panting sounds, Renji was lost. Nothing could hold him back. He dragged his mouth from Byakuya’s, fingers tightening and voice rising in pleasure as hot wetness spattered up his chest. At the same moment, Byakuya curled over him, hips stuttering to a halt as he let out a passionate groan. Heat filled Renji and a moment later, they collapsed, exhausted and spent.

Once he caught his breath, Renji murmured into Byakuya’s sweaty hair, “I told you they’d get sticky.”

“Mmmm, yet somehow I don’t care.”

Renji wrapped his arms around Byakuya, holding him close up against his chest. His head fell back to rest against the stuffed tiger, who’d somehow managed to stay on the bed despite all the activity. “Well, if this is what book shopping does for you, we’re doing this every day.”


End file.
